HEARSAY News from KU’s Wheat Law Library | Spring 2015
IN THIS
ISSUE 2014 Bluebook Relays International Dissertation Writing Fellow update Marbury & Madison visit Green Hall
Visit Us Green Hall 1535 W. 15th St. Lawrence, KS 66045 lawref@ku.edu law.ku.edu/library
INTERIM DIRECTOR’S CORNER Welcome to the spring 2015 issue of the Wheat Law Library’s newsletter, Hearsay. This is our first issue of Hearsay without our longstanding director, Joyce McCray Pearson, at the helm. Joyce was recently appointed to the prestigious position of Law Library Director at Washington University Law in St. Louis and, although things are not the same without her cheerful presence and energetic leadership, we all wish her the very best in this exciting new opportunity. Joyce, I can assure you that we will all do our best to make you proud and continue your emphasis on providing skilled service in support of the instructional and scholarly pursuits of KU Law! In this issue of Hearsay, you will find a small but representative sample of our many activities and accomplishments in recent months. Our inaugural International Dissertation Writing Fellow, law student Chris Keyser, offers an insightful look into his extensive work supporting the SJD program’s writing endeavors. Library Assistant Melissa Doebele provides a thoughtful perspective on the challenges and benefits of being “green” in Green Hall. Cataloging & Technical Services Librarian Allison Reeve recounts the adventures of Marbury and Madison, mascots of the Mid-America Association of Law Libraries (MAALL), on the KU campus. As always, we have included coverage of our latest successful running of the Bluebook Relays. Thanks to the faithful efforts of Serials & Circulation Manager Jeff Montgomery, this year marked the 25th edition of this proud KU Law tradition. You will also find important information about National Library Week and our efforts to mark the occasion, led as always by Head of Public Services Pam Crawford, included in this issue. As you can imagine, there are always many exciting initiatives and undertakings that do not necessarily make it into the newsletter.
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Our dedicated librarians and staff members have been working hard on various projects spanning the range of instruction and teaching, service, research and scholarship, and professional performance. “As we continue to If you are build on our strengths interested in learning more and identify new about our efforts, or would opportunities to just like to chat about any aspect meaningfully of the Wheat Law Library, contribute to the I invite you to law school’s mission, contact me. As we continue to please remember build on our strengths and that my door is identify new always open.” opportunities to meaningfully contribute to the law school’s mission, please remember that my door is always open. As imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I echo Joyce’s traditional closing and hope to “see you in the library.” Christopher L. Steadham, JD, MLIM Wheat Law Library Interim Director
Team ‘Summery Judgment’ reigns as 2014 Bluebook Relays champion Another raucous edition of the Barber Emerson Bluebook Relays enlivened Green Hall over the lunch hour on Oct. 31, 2014. Organized by the library’s own Jeff Montgomery and sponsored by the Lawrence law firm Barber Emerson LC, the 25th annual Bluebook Relays were a smashing success. The 2014 title was ultimately captured by Nicki Rose’s “Summery Judgment” team, which joins a long line of proud Bluebook Relays champions. Ashley Akers’ “Bundle of Sticks” team won the 2014 Spirit Award. The Relays are a KU Law tradition that gives 1Ls a brief respite from memo writing and puts their newly
acquired legal citation skills to the test. Each small section competes with a team of 10 members, including one Bluebook “expert.” Usually held around Halloween, the Relays also feature outrageous costumes and spirited but friendly competition. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Relays, the library staff honored event organizer Jeff Montgomery with a celebratory cake and gift. The Relays are one of the events that make KU Law a special place, and they would not be possible without Jeff’s dedicated efforts over the years. Thanks again, Jeff, for all you do in support of the library and law school!
Clockwise from top left: Library faculty and staff prepare for the 2014 Bluebook Relays; Team “Bundle of Sticks” captured the 2014 Spirit Award; and Team “Summery Judgment” brought home the top prize in the competition.
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It’s not easy being ‘green’ in Green Hall By Melissa Doebele, Library Assistant
Long before the word “green” was associated with being environmentally friendly, it referred to someone who was inexperienced. That was certainly how I felt when I started my job as a Library Assistant at Wheat Law Library. It wasn’t that I had never worked at a library before — quite the contrary. Nearly every job I’ve ever had has been in a library. It wasn’t that I’d never worked at a law library before either. I worked at the library at Washburn Law School nearly 15 years ago. My concern starting this new job was that I’d be doing work that I’d never done in a library before —mainly acquisitions and legal reference. In a nutshell, acquisitions involves what happens to library materials before the public sees them. I get
to see the books the library may (or may not) acquire when they are fresh out of the box. I keep track of the invoices for print materials as well as electronic resources. I also work a lot with statistics. A small sample of my other duties includes ordering supplies, putting together the New Resource List for the library, and working with Faculty Services Senior Researcher Lindsey Collins on organizing the display case that houses new faculty publications. And then there’s the reference desk. This is certainly where I feel
the most “green.” I previously worked at the reference desk at Kenneth Spencer Research Library at KU, but both the number of my reference hours per week and the duration of my time on the desk there was fairly brief. At Wheat Law Library, I am at the front desk on Friday afternoons and all day Saturdays. Having never been to law school, I do feel a little lost when I hear some of the terms people use. I’ve also discovered that lawyers and future lawyers really like acronyms and abbreviations. There are resources available to help me improve my legal reference skills, and as I make my way through them I hope that library patrons will bear with me while I attempt to educate myself. It may not be easy being “green,” but so far it’s been nice working in Green Hall.
National Library Week | April 12-18 Wheat Law Library joined libraries nationwide in a celebration of the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians April 13-17, 2015. We celebrated with decorations, “Cake in the Commons” on Monday, recognition of our library workers on Tuesday, library surveys, and special surprises as the week progressed. This time of year is often stressful for our students. National Library 4
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Week activities offer a few bright spots amid studying for finals and applying for summer jobs. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.
From left: MAALL mascots Marbury and Madison jam with the Moody Bluebooks at KU Law’s annual Women in Law Pub Night fundraiser; the prairie dogs help Dean Stephen Mazza file taxes.
MAALL’s mascots: Marbury & Madison By Alison Reeve, Cataloging & Technical Services Librarian You may have recently noticed a couple of stuffed animals running around Green Hall. Their names are Marbury and Madison, and these two prairie dogs are mascots of the Mid America Association of Law Libraries (MAALL). Named for the case, yet friends this time around. MAALL members first voted on the animal and then their names in late 2013. The prairie dogs are traveling through various member institutions as a public relations initiative. Marbury and Madison arrived at KU Law just in time to represent teams in Professor Levy’s first annual Con Law Feud. The class divided into teams to answer questions after their Marbury v. Madison discussion. Madison came out on top, but only by a hair! Later, the dogs spent time filing taxes with Dean Mazza. Marbury and Madison also had opportunity to tour KU’s campus on a sunny day, take a photo with the Jimmy Green statue, and rock out with the Moody Bluebooks at WIL Pub Night. Their next stop – Saint Louis University School of Law. Membership in MAALL is one the perks of being a law librarian at KU Law, providing
many opportunities to us as individuals, but also to the greater institution. Most of our law librarians have served on MAALL committees, heightening our presence as supporters of professional law librarianship and giving back to the association. Various members have approved educational programming at conferences to ensure quality professional development for attendees, written news about the happenings at law libraries in Kansas for MAALL Markings, provided treasury support, or created informational brochures for students interested in law librarianship. MAALL also provides professional development opportunities through conferences, programming, publishing opportunities and grants for research and travel. The association links to the Mid-America Law Libraries Consortium, providing the library further opportunities for resource sharing and cost-saving group licensing. As a member of the MAALL Public Relations committee, I was eager to contribute to the Twitter feed and MAALL Markings with some prairie dog adventures at KU, hoping to not only highlight MAALL and law libraries but also promote KU Law as a fun place with exceptionally creative and devoted librarians! Wheat Law Library | Hearsay
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The International Dissertation Writing Fellow: A successful collaborative experiment By Allison Reeve, Cataloging & Technical Services Librarian As supporters of KU Law’s international programs, the Wheat Law Library and the Academic Resources Program partnered to implement, supervise and assess the International Dissertation Writing Fellow (IDWF) student position in fall 2013. In addition to the editing services provided by the KU Writing Center, our scholars required an editor who was familiar with the stylistic requirements of English legal writing. With strong recommendations, a commitment to scholarship and excellent writing credentials, law student Chris Keyser became the first IDWF. Chris served in this position until spring 2015 and assisted multiple SJD students in fine-tuning their understanding of English legal writing, completing publication-worthy dissertations and successful program defense. Although Chris has transitioned out of this role and a new IDWF is poised to continue editorial assistance, this position has proven invaluable in numerous ways. Not only does this position provide an upper-level KU Law student additional experience in legal research, writing, editing and collaborating with international colleagues, we have also proven the considerable potential of
“Not only does this position provide an upper-level KU Law student additional experience in legal research, writing, editing and collaborating with international colleagues, we have also proven the considerable potential of collaborative efforts to support the success of our international programs.” collaborative efforts to support the success of our international programs. As the SJD program grows and branches into new geographic regions, and as writing requirements increase for KU Law scholars, the library is committed to lending a hand and expertise in supporting student writing success.
LIBRARY HOURS Regular Hours (March 22 - April 21) Mon - Thur Friday Saturday Sunday
7:30 am - 11 pm 7:30 am - 5 pm 9 am - 5 pm 10 am - 11 pm
Exam Hours (April 22 - May 8) Mon - Thur Friday Saturday
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7:30 am - 1 am 7:30 am - 10 pm 8 am - 10 pm
Sunday Friday, May 8
10 am - 1 am 7:30 am - 5 pm
Interim Hours (May 9 - May 15) Mon - Fri 8 am - 5 pm Sat - Sun Closed Commencement (May 16-17) Saturday 10 am - 5 pm Sunday 9 am - 5 pm
My time as an International Dissertation Writing Fellow By Chris Keyser, L’15
Surprisingly rewarding. Those are the words I would use to describe my experience as an International Dissertation Writing Fellow. When I was approached about becoming the law school’s first Fellow, I was intrigued by the title but not so much by the job description: editing papers. However, as I quickly came to learn, being a Fellow involves much more than performing a series of Bluebook assignments. As a Fellow, I helped KU’s international SJD students improve all aspects of their dissertations, primarily grammar, sentence structure, word choice and, yes, Bluebooking. Anyone who has used the Bluebook knows how unnecessarily complicated and arbitrarily mechanical it is. See Richard Posner, “The Bluebook Blues,” 120 YALE L.J. 850 (2011). Now imagine trying to use the Bluebook when English is your second, third or fourth language. It gives one perspective on how impressive KU’s SJD students are. So, one might ask, aside from Bluebooking, what does a Fellow offer that the Writing Center cannot?
“When I was approached about becoming the law school’s first Fellow, I was intrigued by the title but not so much by the job description: editing papers.” Simply put: legal knowledge and understanding. Many of the dissertations I edited contained draft language for proposed legislation. A non-legal editor looking at such language might recognize that an “and” should really be an “or.” However, he or she probably does not recognize, or understand the impact of using, certain terms of art (e.g., “cause” might mean “actual cause,” or it might mean “proximate cause,” or it might have a specific meaning assigned by the statute in which it appears). For me to add value to the editing process, I had to understand the SJD students’ arguments, then determine whether what they had written reflected what they intended to say. Thus, just as a lawyer drafting a contract is not a mere scrivener, an International Dissertation Writing Fellow is not a mere editor.
upcoming events Hooding Ceremony University Commencement May 16-17, 2015 Recent Developments in the Law CLE May 28-29, 2015 KU Law Reunion Weekend Oct. 30-31, 2015
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Farewell, Joyce!
LIBRARY STAFF Lindsey Collins Faculty Services Senior Researcher Pam Crawford Head of Public Services Melissa Doebele Library Assistant Jeff Montgomery Circulation & Serials Department Manager Allison Reeve Cataloging & Technical Services Librarian Christopher Steadham Interim Director W. Blake Wilson Head of Instructional & Research Services
OUR MISSION
Colleagues, friends and students gathered to celebrate longtime Wheat Law Library Director Joyce McCray Pearson’s years of service and wish her well in her new role as Law Library Director at Washington University in St. Louis. 8 Wheat Law Library | Hearsay
As the largest and oldest law library in Kansas, the Wheat Law Library is an integral part of the School of Law. It serves the law school and university community in legal and interdisciplinary scholarly pursuits and provides attorneys, judges, and the general public with access to legal information. Key components of this mission include collecting and preserving Kansas, national, and international legal documents, teaching legal information literacy, and serving as a legal information gateway by providing access to sources beyond the scope of the physical collection.